If you’ve been a regular reader of this blog you’ll know I love Islamic geometric patterns. They lend themselves well to quilt-making, both pieced and appliquéd. Two of the quilts I am currently making are based on such patterns – my Arabesque quilt and my Andalusian Tile quilt. Well, it seems I am not the only one who is fascinated by these patterns. I follow a blog called Trends and Traditions and Heather, the blog owner, has just come back from a European tour where among other beautiful architectural wonders she saw the wonders of Moorish Spain. Take a look at her beautiful photos here.

My husband also knows how much I like these geometrics and he recently bought me thisbeautiful notebook. It’s so clever how the flap exactly matches the front cover pattern.

If you’re interested in learning how to draw these designs a good cheap beginner’s book is Islamic Design – A Genius for Geometry by Daud Sutton. You can get it from the Book Depository for around US$10 or AUS$12 including postage. Another beautiful source book if you have the dollars is Zillij: Art of Moroccan Ceramics by S.Samar Damluji. This book costs around AUS$110 including postage which is a real bargain as I paid more than $200 for mine several years ago. The tile patterns make perfect inspirations for pieced quilts and there are some instructions on how the designs are drawn.

[tweetmeme source=”sewjournal” only_single=false http://sewjournal.com%5D